The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday held its planned protest in Abuja over the country’s worsening insecurity, but the action recorded a low turnout.
Protesters gathered briefly at the NLC secretariat in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before marching under a heavy security presence.
Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) were deployed to monitor the procession.
Although the NLC had announced that protesters would converge at the Labour House in Abuja before marching through the streets of the capital, the protest started slowly.
As of an hour after the scheduled 7:30 a.m. take-off time, only a small number of union members and activists were present at the venue.
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Joe Ajaero, NLC President, arrived at the Labour House at about 8:49 a.m. Other early arrivals included the Benson Upah, NLC General Secretary and activist Omoyele Sowore, who joined the protest at the invitation of the labour leadership.
Some NLC members were seen wearing union-branded attire.
Despite the scanty turnout, the protesters later moved towards the Federal Ministry of Finance as part of the demonstration.
Leaders of various labour unions and civil society groups were also present.
The protest came a day after President Bola Tinubu met with labour leaders at the State House in Abuja in a last-minute effort to persuade the NLC to shelve the nationwide action.
Following the meeting, Ajaero told reporters that organised labour would consult internally before deciding its next line of action, but later confirmed that the protest would still hold.
Speaking after a subsequent meeting convened Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State in Abuja, Ajaero said discussions with President Tinubu focused on national insecurity and the financial challenges facing Nigerian workers.
He noted that poorly paid and inadequately fed workers were more vulnerable to hardship and insecurity.
“The action continued this morning and we are rounding off now. We will take back whatever we discussed with them to our members,” Ajaero said, adding that the protest was not indefinite.
He said President Tinubu assured labour leaders that additional steps were being taken to address insecurity and that further engagements would hold in January to address outstanding issues affecting workers’ welfare.
Governor Uzodimma, who chairs the Progressives Governors’ Forum, said the president’s intervention helped ease tensions and opened a channel for regular engagement between the government and organised labour.
He added that both sides agreed on the need for national unity, improved security and continued dialogue on economic reforms and workers’ welfare.
Overall, while the NLC protest held in Abuja as scheduled, participation remained minimal as discussions between the federal government and labour leaders continued.
